Codebreakers: Bletchley Park’s Lost Heroes

Airs Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 11 p.m. on KPBSTV

Credit: Courtesy of the BBC

Above: Bill Tutte

Friday, March 29, 2013

The stunning achievements of mathematical whiz Bill Tutte, combined with the engineering genius of British engineer Tommy Flowers, were to change the course of the Second World War and usher in the age of computers.

Courtesy of the BBC

British engineer Tommy Flowers

Courtesy of the BBC

Colossus and two operators from the Women’s Royal Naval Service, Dorothy Du Boisson (left) and Elsie Booker.

His breathtaking genius was exploited by an amazing array of talent at Bletchley Park, the UK’s top secret intelligence base, who then broke into Hitler’s own communications network, changing the War and the world.

But unlike the well-documented story of the cracking of the Enigma code, their work in deciphering the codes of the more complicated Lorenz machine was hidden from public view.

At the time, neither man was credited with this work as it was covered by the Official Secret Act – Tutte in particular was essentially buried as the official history of Bletchley began to emerge, but continued to work in secret for his government right through the Cold War.

This was a man who did extraordinary things and was ahead of his time, but who put duty above personal glory, and died without ever being honored by his own country.

A BBC production.

Video

Preview: Codebreakers: Bletchley Park's Lost Hereos

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Above: In this program, actress Keeley Hawes introduces the story of Bill Tutte and Tommy Flowers, the two mystery men who uncovered Hitler's secret code and helped win WWII, then disappeared from history.